


Mismatched

by SpiritMuse



Series: Ignis Fluff Week [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Ignis is a rebel, no really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 11:31:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12983151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritMuse/pseuds/SpiritMuse
Summary: Ignis had always been dedicated to following the rules. As a child, he'd found it comforting, to know exactly what was expected of him. No doubts, no insecurities. Just knowing where to go, what to do, and how to do it at all times.





	Mismatched

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to day 2! Today's theme: Breaking the rules. Enjoy! :)

Ignis had always been dedicated to following the rules. As a child, he'd found it comforting, to know exactly what was expected of him. No doubts, no insecurities. Just knowing where to go, what to do, and how to do it at all times. 

And he loved the praise he got for doing things Right. It made him feel valued, and loved. So he always wanted to be a Good Kid, and do what he was asked to. And don't do what was forbidden.

Once he'd allowed himself to stray from his path of righteousness. Noctis had managed to convince him to sneak out at night, together, to see the stars from the roof. More than once, actually. He'd loved talking to Noct about the stars and constellations, explaining their names and legends. Once, they'd seen a shooting star, and Ignis had secretly wished he could stay with Noctis forever.

Of course he took all the blame when they were caught. Because as the older kid, it was his responsibility. He should have Known Better. And he had. But he'd always found it hard to say no to Noctis. And he probably always would. Especially when his "alright, then" made the boy smile wider than he'd seen him smile since his injury. 

But he'd had to, after that. The guards' vigil increased, and so their nocturnal (hah) misadventures had to come to an end.

"What were you thinking?" he'd been told.

"It could have been dangerous," he'd been told.

"I wouldn't have expected this of you, of all people, Ignis," he'd been told. 

Maybe the King had had a twinkle in his eyes when he'd said it.

Maybe the King's voice had sounded warm and pleasant and not at all upset, really.

But Ignis had taken the reprimand to heart all the same, and vowed to never stray from the rules again.

By the time he was 14, however, he was beginning to find some of those rules imposed on him annoying, even stifling. Like the way tests and essays had to be written in blue pen only, when his favourite pen had black ink. He saw no reason why it had to be blue when black ink was perfectly readable.

Or the way he was required to wear a tie whenever attending lessons or the odd council meeting, when most of the council members and even his teachers hardly wore them at all. True, Noct had to wear one too when going to school, but at least he got to wear it loosely. Ignis was required to wear his tight at all times, and it chafed. He hated the feeling of anything that tightly around his neck.

One morning, he stood in his bedroom, looking into his sock drawer. There were currently 9 pairs of dark blue socks, and 8 pairs of pure black socks inside it, neatly arranged and split according to colour.

He frowned. He was so sick of all those annoying nonsense rules. Always wear your necktie. Always keep your hair neat. Only use the right kind of pen. Only wear black or dark blue socks.

He sighed frustratedly, picking up one pair of each. Which one would he be required to choose today? What would go best with his outfit? What did the current rules of fashion say? Blue or black? Honestly, at this rate he might as well just wear one of each.

He snorted at the thought. It was ridiculous. Mismatching socks? That went against every rule of fashion. Then again, would anyone really notice? Socks weren't exactly the most visible part of one's attire.

But he couldn't. Could he? 

He realised a smile had crept onto his face. He felt an excitement deep within, that he hadn't felt in many years.

Yes, he thought rebelliously, that's it. From this day forward, Ignis Scientia would never wear matching socks again!

...Maybe. Possibly. It depended on how he ended up feeling about it at the end of the day.

For today at least, that was the rule.

He pulled them on, one black and one blue. Then the rest of his clothes, tie chafing as usual, and his shoes. He pulled up his pant legs slightly and looked down at the mismatching socks. It was ridiculous, really. But then why did it fill him with secret excitement?

The whole morning he was hyper aware of his socks. He felt their presence on his feet as they traveled up the steps of the Citadel, every step through its corridors. He was aware of them all the way through his lessons, nervous at the prospect of getting caught yet excited all at the same time.

Yet nobody said anything. Nobody even looked at him oddly. And why would they? His rule breaking socks were hidden neatly underneath his trouser legs.

As the day wore on the nervousness slowly started to fade. Until, at the end of the afternoon, it was time to visit with Noct.

They would be looking over his homework for the day, as usual, which Noct preferred to do seated on his couch rather than at any desk or table. Ignis had tried many times to get him to sit at his desk properly but he'd refused every time. And eventually Ignis had relented, as he did.

So there he sat on the couch, his legs crossed, trousers riding up just enough for his socks to be clearly visible. Surely Noctis would notice something? He had to, how could he not? They were so clearly on display.

Of course Noct was unlikely to scold him, but if he noticed it he might reveal the secret to someone else. And if it got back to the wrong people, then maybe... Ignis shook off the thought. He was overthinking it, he knew. There were unlikely to be consequences of any severity for simply mismatching his socks.

Still. If nothing else, Noct might make fun of him. He was at that age just on the cusp of becoming a teenager, where he was starting to get a little unruly. If he found out about the socks, he might never let Ignis live it down.

Noct never said a word, however, even though a few times Ignis was sure he'd looked and seen the socks. This was it, Ignis had thought every time, this is when it would be discovered. And then it wasn't. The whole thing was fairly nerve wracking and he had to work to not let his discomfort show.

Finally it was time to return to his own rooms. After bidding Noct goodbye, he walked home maybe a little faster than he usually did. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he broke out into a grin. He covered his mouth as giddy laughter erupted from his chest. He'd done it.

He'd broken a rule, for the first time in many years, and nobody had noticed. Even Noct, who he was sure had had a clear view, hadn't said a word. He'd gotten away with it, completely.

It was a little thing, really, utterly unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but that didn't matter. It was the first rule he'd ever set for himself that directly countered one he'd been taught, even if it was an informal one. It was his choice, and his alone. His secret. That was enough. 

He grinned all the way through eating dinner. He couldn't suppress a smile as he finished his homework. He chuckled when he finally took off his mismatched socks, and still felt warm when he crawled into his bed.

The next morning he looked into his sock drawer, and smiled. He spent the next few minutes pulling apart his socks and reknotting them, one blue and one black together.


End file.
